


He's A Tramp

by hischarmingcompanion



Series: Clawen Week [3]
Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: AU, Clawen, Clawen Week, Day 3, F/M, I started writing this and then suddenly I had over 4000 words, Lady and The Tramp AU, So i thought i should stop, and then make it two parts, because it got out of hand, clawen au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-14 09:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4559073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hischarmingcompanion/pseuds/hischarmingcompanion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire Dearing didn't really pay much attention to anything that wasn't in her perfect bubble. Until Owen Grady comes along. In one day, he suddenly makes her question everything in her life. But is Owen hiding something that could potentially endanger Claire and her family?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day 3 of Clawen Week! It's AU Time! This is seriously the longest thing I've ever written. I just started writing while watching the film and I didn't realise how long it had gotten. Enjoy the AU goodness! Also I wrote this at 3 AM so sorry if there are any mistakes or missing words XD

Claire had always enjoyed Christmas. It was her favourite holiday. She loved the gingerbread cookies, the presents, the small little traditions that came each year. Those three simple days always made her happier than she’s ever been. But this year it was different. This was the first Christmas her family would be spending without her father. He’d passed away three months earlier, mugged in the street just two blocks from their home, and now Christmas just felt wrong. They still exchanged presents and ate gingerbread cookies, but the air was heavy around them. There were no cheery traditions and their mother had been cold ever since it happened. She hadn’t smiled and she barely spent time with them anymore. So in the three months since his death, Claire and Karen had gotten much closer. On rough nights, they would share the same bed and eventually, Karen just ended up moving her mattress into Claire’s room. But Karen wasn’t home tonight. She’d gotten an offer from a friend to spend Christmas in Utah, leaving 7-year old Claire alone on Christmas Eve.

Nightmares had become normal for her. She was used to it. But tonight, she encountered a particularly terrifying one. This time, she was with her father when it happened. A man was holding a gun to them, demanding that they give him money. But even after her father emptied his wallet, the gun went off. And Claire was left in puddle of his blood, gasping through tears and begging for him to wake up. But he never did.

She bolted upright in her bed, trying to catch her breath and holding her throat that was sore from her screams. “Mom!” She yelled. It had felt so real. The blood covering her clothes. It was the worst feeling. “Mommy!’ She tried again. This time the door swung open, bathing the room in light.

“What is it, Claire?” she asked, bags under her eyes.

“I had a nightmare.” She whimpered, wiping the tears from her face.

Her mother sighed. “Darling, it was just a dream. It wasn’t real. You’re always going to have bad dreams. But you need to learn to remember that it’s all in your head.” Claire closed her eyes and nodded. “Good. Can you go to sleep now?”

“Yes, Mom.” With one more sigh, her mother turned and shut her door, once again plunging the room into darkness. Her mother hadn’t always been like this, but the incident changed her. And Claire didn’t blame her for that. Curling into a ball on her bed and hugging the stuffed dog she received as a Christmas present from her father years before, she drifted back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The morning light coming through the curtains was always what woke Claire up. She had been staying with Karen for the past couple of weeks to help with the new baby. Gray Mitchell was born about month ago, a healthy number of fingers on each hand and toes on each foot, and he was adorable. He had been keeping the new parents up every night since, though, as well as Claire. But she didn’t sleep much, anyway. Her job didn’t really allow for it. She’d been spending the three years as a financial consultant to Simon Masrani, one of the most profitable men in the world. She oversaw every purchase that went through him and his company, so she was used to running on about five hours of sleep. Sure, she’d take naps here and there, but she was fully committed to her job.

It was about 6 AM when she woke, stretching her limbs above her head and climbed out from under the covers. She wandered over to the closet and threw on a plain t-shirt and some jeans before jogging downstairs to the kitchen to pour herself a bowl of cereal. She must’ve been making some noise because a few minutes later, Karen appeared from around the corner, looking disheveled and similar to something from a zombie film.

“Did someone forget to tell you how Sunday works?” Claire laughed as she ate another spoonful of cereal.

“You know me. Always the early riser.” She hopped off the stool and put an arm around her sister. “So, Mama, how’re you doing?”

Karen laughed at the nickname. “Good. Gray actually slept through the night, so that’s a plus. I actually got some sleep,” she replied, giving her sister a hug. “Oh, speaking of Gray, I need to ask you a huge, huge favour.”

“You know I’d do anything for you,” she said, both them sitting at the counter. “What’s up?”

“Scott has some potential investors in Beijing that want him to fly over for an official meeting. So they can sign contracts and a bunch of that legal crap. He wants me to come. And because Zach is out of school, he would come, too. But Gray is still a bit young to be going to China, obviously. So I was wondering if maybe, possibly, you could watch him for a couple of days. It would only be three days. We’d leave tonight and be back by Sunday.” She looked desperate, which was understandable since they were supposed to leave tonight and they had no one to take care of their newborn son. Claire smiled at her sister, knowing how stressed she was. And Karen didn’t get stressed often.

“Of course, I’ll watch him. It’s no problem. I love Gray and I love all of you. Whatever you need, I’m here.” Karen smiled with glassy eyes and pulled her sister into a hug.

“What did I do to deserve you for a sister?” She said, starting to cry slightly.

“Okay, one, I think you really need some sleep because this is a bit of an overreaction.” She said, pulling apart from her and wiping the tears off her cheeks. Karen giggled. “And two, you took such good care of me when we were little. I’m just returning the favour.” She smiled. “You were always there for me, even with the most ridiculous of problems. So I’m pretty sure I’m the one that doesn’t deserve you.”  
Karen pulled her back into a hug, holding her tight. “Let’s just agree that we don’t deserve each other and be done with it.” Claire laughed. She really did have the best sister.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“What do you mean you’ll be off work for the next three days?” Lowery questioned.

Claire had decided to meet Lowery and Vivian at the local bar. She met them about two years ago when Simon hired them to assist with the company’s accounts and they had become fast friends, occasionally going out for drinks in their downtime, however rare that was. “But you’re Claire Dearing,” began Vivian. “You are work. It’s physically impossible for you to take time off.”

Claire laughed, furiously typing on her laptop. “I promised Karen I’d look after the baby. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll just work on everything until they leave which is why I need you guys. While I’m gone, I need you to keep of everything I absolutely need to know, even if it’s something small,” she said, her eyes not leaving the screen.

“No problem. I mean, that is our job. So, you know, nothing new. But no problem,” Lowery assured her. Claire simply nodded, her eyes still fixed on the laptop resting on the bar. “We’re going to head out because, honestly, I don’t think you can hear us anymore. So, see you later?” She just nodded again and Vivian laughed as they both stood up and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Owen Grady was a simple man. He wore plain t-shirts and tan board shorts nearly every day of his life. But his life wasn’t anywhere near simple. Owen was a hacker. He, along with his friends Barry and Zara, went into the accounts of the extremely wealthy and transferred it to the poor. Those who deserved it.

Currently, he had been on his way to Tony’s, a diner about a few blocks from his home. He’d known Tony his whole life and he was always the one to give Owen any info on a potential target. As long as no one ratted him out, he was happy to do it. He admired Owen’s ‘Robin Hood’ tendencies.

Owen knocked on the back door, which swung open to reveal Tony. “Owen! Haven’t seen you in weeks? Thought they finally got you.”

Owen smirked. “You know that wouldn’t happen, Tony. I’m uncatchable,” he said, clapping him on the back. “What do you got for me?”

Tony smiled and reached behind him. “A burger with a side of rich jackass.” Owen laughed and took it from him.

“Nice. Thanks, man. I’ll see you later,” he said, jogging out of the alley and towards the Hangout.

The Hangout was the abandoned building he and his friends worked their magic. It was a great because no one really knew about it and the cops couldn’t connect any one of them to that location. Until today.

“Maybe if you didn’t play the field so much, you could actually get a girl,” Zara teased, throwing a fry a him.

“Is it such a crime to love women? Don’t blame me, I’m just an enthusiast.” He laughed.

“Some enthusiast. The last girl dumped you after two da-” Something cut Barry off. Sirens.

“Shit, go!” Each of them grabbed their laptops and bolted. In any case that this happened, they all had a plan to split up, so if one of them was caught, the other two would get away. Owen was currently running down the street. A couple of minutes had gone by and the sirens had disappeared. He figured he was safe. But he was also worn out. Luckily, he spotted a bar just across the street. But if he was being completely honest with himself, the redhead he noticed through the window is the reason he decided to go in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire was still in the same spot she had been in an hour ago, trying to make sure everything was where it should be before she took her three days, when she heard a voice beside her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with a computer at a bar before.” She turned around to find a man, dressed casually and unshaven, with a smirk across his face. “I mean, this is a bar. People come here to drink and relax,” he said, sitting next to her. “But you seem to focused to be relaxing.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and shut her laptop. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m working.”

“Working? On a Friday afternoon? Either your boss is an ass or you’re a workaholic.”

“Excuse me, but my boss is a delight.”

“Workaholic it is, then.” He concluded, throwing his arms in the air in victory. “Why don’t you just get a drink and take a break from all that? I’ll buy,” he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. Claire suppressed a smile and opened her laptop.

“No, thank you. I’d rather finish working,” she replied, turning back to the computer. He narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“What’s your name, Red?”  
She rolled her eyes, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. “Claire.” She knew he wasn’t going to give up, so she might as well tell him.

“Well, Claire, if you keep up with ‘work work work’ lifestyle, life is gonna get away from you. Before you know it, you’ll look around and everyone will have moved on while you’re still sitting here at the bar, laptop in front of you, and you might just regret it.”

She sighed, shutting her laptop once again. “Look, I know you might think that because you probably have no purpose in life, but I do. I worked hard to get where I am. So don’t think for a second that you know me. Because you don’t. Now leave me alone and let me get back to work because I actually like what I do.” She opened her laptop again and resumed typing. He was still smiling. Who was this girl?

“You got it, Red,” he said, getting up and walking toward the door. “Oh,” he paused, turning around, “My name’s Owen, by the way.” Thankfully, he didn’t see the smile before she forced it off her face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire wandered upstairs, exhaustion finally seeping into her bones. Karen had just left and now it was just her and Gray, whose cries now began to echo through the house. She sighed and walked toward his bedroom. The poor thing was turning red from his screams. Picking him up, she gently rocked him back and forth in her arms until the noises subsided. He was nearly falling asleep and it was the cutest thing Claire had ever scene. She held his soft hand in hers and his tiny fingers wrapped around her larger one. She smiled, letting him keep the death grip he had on her finger. She couldn’t wait to be a mom and holding Gray made her want it that much more. Maybe one day.

Her mind suddenly drifted to the man from the bar and she frowned. Her sister had just had her second baby. A week earlier, Vivian and Lowery had announced that they’d decided to start dating. Everyone’s lives were going so well. Except hers. Was that Owen guy right? Was life really passing her by?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Claire was awaken by a persistent knocking coming from the front door and she groaned. It was 10 ‘o'clock a night. Getting out of bed and slumping downstairs, she swung the door open to find her mother with a suitcase sitting beside her. “Mom?”

“Hello Darling! How are you?” she greeted, pulling Claire into a tight hug.

“I’m good, but what’re you doing here?” Claire asked, letting her mother finish the hug and step inside.  
“Oh, I heard Karen was going out of town, so I thought I’d come and help look after my new grandbaby.” Handing Claire her suitcase, she walked past her and towards Gray’s room. She shook her head in frustration and followed her.

“Mom, it’s fine. Karen asked me to look after him and we’re both great.”

Her mother sighed as she picked up the baby and turned towards Claire. “Honey, I love you. But you’ve never had kids. Do you really know how to look after one?”

Claire face turned to a grimace. “I’ve taken care of Zach on multiple occasions. I’m perfectly capabl-”

“Claire, I just don’t trust it, okay? I would like to stay here and make sure he’s okay. It would put my mind at ease.” She then turned her attention back to the baby and sat down on the chair beside his crib. Claire closed her eyes and left the room. She was used to it. Her mother was like this all of the time. So, she tried not to pay much attention to it. But as she ran downstairs and out the door to take a walk, it still sat there in the back of her mind, taunting her. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe she wasn’t fit to look after kids. Maybe she wouldn’t be a good mother. Maybe she wouldn’t be a mother at all. But then, something else started to bother her.

There was dark figure behind her. She could see his shadow under the sidewalk lights. He was following her. She started to walk faster, hoping he would go away. Suddenly, an arm reached out from the alley next to her and pulled her in. She couldn’t scream because of the hand that was over her mouth. There were two men, the one from the sidewalk and the one that grabbed her. They were smiling. They had an evil look to them. If you saw them on the street, there’s no way you’d go near them.

She tried to make any noise she could, but it was useless. All that was coming out of her were whimpers and she couldn’t even hear those.

“Hello there,” one of them said. “You’re pretty, aren’t you?”

She tried to plead, beg them to let her go. She tried to move out of their grip. She tried everything. But nothing worked. So she closed her eyes and tried not to think of her father’s death. Tried not to think that the same thing was about to happen to her.

Suddenly, she heard a shout, skin hitting skin, the death grip on her arms disappearing. A man was yelling. She couldn’t make out the words and she didn’t open her eyes. She was too scared to do anything. It was only when she felt two hands hold her shoulders, much gentler this time, and her name being called that she blinked them open. Owen.

“Are you alright?” She was still a bit shook up, so she simply nodded. “Follow me,” he said, grabbing hold of her hand and guiding her out of the alley.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He ended up taking her to Tony’s Diner. She’d seen the place a couple of times, but she’d never gone in. They sat down in a booth right in front of the window and for a couple of minutes they were silent. But it was starting to weigh down on them too hard, so Claire spoke up.

“Thank you,” she blurted out. “For saving me.” He smiled.

“Of course. Wouldn’t have wanted anything to happen to you.” She smiled back. “Anyway, I’ve got some pull here. You can order whatever you want.”

She laughed. “Well, I’m not really that hungry, but I guess I’ll have a milkshake.”

“You got it.” They waited for a few minutes before her milkshake arrived, and when it did, she was surprised that the cup contained two straws.

“What is this; highschool?” She joked.

He shrugged. “I’m game if you are, Red.” She shook her head and giggled. Owen had never heard a more beautiful sound. She grabbed the class and yanked it towards her, placing both straws in her mouth with a playful smirk on her face.

“What’s with you calling me that?” He laughed.

“First thing I noticed when I saw you. You have very red hair.”

“That I do,” she agreed, sipping on her milkshake. “So, Boardshorts, do you own any other pants or just those?”

He clapped his hands together and leaned forward, smiling. “Come on, you know you love them.” She scoffed.

“You wish.” They sat in silence for a while before Claire spoke again. “I’m sorry, by the way, for the other day. I may have been out of line saying that you had no purpose. It may have been a bit harsh.”

“It’s fine. I was being a dick so I kind of deserved it.”

She smiled and asked, “What do you do?”

He looked a bit hesitant before replying, “Let’s just say I’m good with computers.”

Claire raised her eyebrows in mock fascination. “Oh, very vague and mysterious. I like it.”

“What about you?” he wondered.

“I work for the Masrani Corporation. Financial department.”

“Seems to keep you up at night from the look of things.” She nodded, downing the last of her milkshake. “Can I walk you home?”

She groaned, shaking her head. “There’s no way I want to go back there right now. My mother is apparently staying over and she’s already found ways to piss me off. You can walk me to a hotel, though.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. My place is just around the corner. You can stay at mine, if you like.” She smirked.

“I hardly know you.”

“Very true. But I did just save your life, so I think I’ve earned some trust.” She smiled. What harm could one night do?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She set her purse down on the small table next to his couch and let her eyes wander around the room. “You have a nice place.”

“Eh, it’s nothing special,” he replied, walking in with two beers and handing one to her. “I’m barely ever here, anyway. Cheers, Red.” He clinked his glass with hers and took a sip.

“So that’s the first thing you noticed about me? My hair?” He nodded and that damn smirk returned to his face. “What about the second?” She asked, leaning against the wall.

“The second.” He pretended to think about it for a moment before looking down at her. “The second thing I noticed was your eyes. They have these little flecks of yellow in them. And there’s this little red mark in your right eye that I can’t stop looking at.”

She let her hair fall in front of her face, trying to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. “And the third?”

“You get this little crease between your eyebrows when you’re concentrating. Thought it was pretty cute,” he confessed, placing his beer on the table and stepping slightly closer to her.

“And the fourth?” The alcohol was making her bold. She was looking him straight in the eyes now as he stepped even closer.

“Your lips.” Their noses were just barely touching now and there wasn’t much space left between them. “You were biting your lip while you were typing and I thought it was incredibly sexy.” She hummed in content, feeling his breath on her lips. “Second I saw you, I hoped you’d fall in love with me right then and there.” She let a small laugh escape her.

“Think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?” She smirked, watching each move he made.

“Always.” And that was the last word spoken between them as his mouth landed on hers. She quickly set her beer on the table next to her and wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting desperately to be closer to him. But it was never close enough. Lifting herself up against the wall, she curled her legs around his waist and her fingers into his hair, pulling him as close to her as she could. His lips left hers and she whimpered before she felt them land on her neck. When he found her pulse point, she couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped her throat.

Kissing his way back up to her lips, he suddenly stopped, letting his forehead rest against hers and his hand come up to caress her face. She looked straight into his eyes then and she saw something she couldn’t describe. She let her hand fall from the back of his head, her thumb softly running over his lips. She knew what he wanted now. He wanted to make sure she was okay. Okay to do this after what had nearly happened to her. She had just met this man yesterday and still she felt such a strong connection to him that she couldn’t explain. She decided not to think about it. She was done thinking. Grabbing hold of the fabric of shirt, she pulled him back down into another kiss.

She suddenly felt completely comfortable staying the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She woke to the smell of bacon and soft noises coming from the kitchen. It took her a moment to remember where she was and when she did, she smiled and buried her face into the pillow. It smelt like Owen. Then, she remembered that her mother was at home taking care of Gray. Her eyes shot open and landed on the clock. 10:46 AM. Claire leaped out bed, pulling on any item of clothing she could find before running into the other room. Owen was in the kitchen, making breakfast, when she ran in.

“Morning, Red. Breakfast?” He asked, holding up the pan of bacon.

She smiled. “You are so sweet,” she said, giving him a kiss, “but while my mother might not be wondering where I am, I should probably get home and make sure she hasn’t burst into flames.” He laughed, turning off the stove.

“No problem. I’ve got to be somewhere anyway, so I’ll walk you.” He said, kissing her forehead.

“Sounds great,” she replied cheerfully.

They’d walked about three blocks, hand in hand, when she heard it. Sirens. She didn’t figure much of it. Probably just some cops down the street. But she knew something was up when he shouted at her to run and started to drag her through the empty alleys of suburban New York.

Owen didn’t want Claire to know about his life. He wasn’t ashamed of it, necessarily. He just thought that if she knew, he probably wouldn’t see her again. He didn’t know what he was going to say to her when they stopped, so he put it out of his mind. As he ran, he didn’t notice when he let go of Claire’s hand. He only noticed when he finally stopped, and she was nowhere to be seen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I completely forgot to put part 2 on AO3 so here it is! haha Bit late but it was up on tumblr on time XD

“I’m a lawyer and I know for a fact that you can’t detain me for more than a 24 hours, so don’t think you have one up on me, buddy!” She was lying. She’d seen that on a cop show.

“Very true. So enjoy your 24 hours. Maybe if you told us what you knew about Owen Grady, we’d let you go sooner.” The smug bastard.

“Look, I already told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She shouted.

He smiled, sliding the bars shut between them. “Then, have fun in lockup, Hon.” Claire groaned in frustration as she watched the police officer saunter out of the room. She mentally cursed herself and ran a hand through her hair. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

“Did he say Owen Grady?” Claire turned abruptly, not realising anyone else had been in there with her. There were two people: A young woman, British by the sound of it, and a tall, African American man. She shrugged, not awfully interested in discussing her personal life with fellow prisoners.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Why?”

“He’s our friend,” the woman explained, standing up and offering her hand. “I’m Zara. This is Barry.” Claire hesitantly shook both of their hands. “Don’t look so freaked. This has happened before. You’ll be here the standard 24 and they’ll let you go.”

“What do you mean it’s happened before?” She asked curiously.

“Well, you’re not the first girl to get caught in place of him,” she replied casually. “Last time it was Jenny. The time before that it was Trixie. Was Sarah ever here?” She asked, turning to Barry.

“No, she wasn’t with him long enough.” Claire was watching them intently, anger growing with every word.

“Right, right.” Turning back to Claire, she placed a hand on her shoulder. “So I wouldn’t worry. You’ll be out by tomorrow. The rest of ‘em were.”

“Great,” she replied, sarcasm dripping off her tongue. “That just adds to my list of goods news.” Claire sighed, putting her hands over her face. “What is this even about? Did he do something?”

Zara laughed. “Oh, Sweetie, he’s done everything.” The look on Claire’s face urged her to continue, still confused. “We’re hackers.”

“Hackers? Like computer hackers?”

“Is there any other kind? That’s why the cops hate us so much. They’re paychecks come from the big guys. We take the money from the big guys and pass it on to people who actually need it. People who deserve it. And for some reason, that just seems to piss them off,” Barry explained, letting out a hearty chuckle.

“So you’re like modern day Robin Hoods?”

“Spot on, Sweetheart,” Zara exclaimed, tapping her own nose. “That’s exactly what we are. Although, my ex didn’t see it that way. The Bitch,” she mumbled under her breath.

Claire shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around the situation. “So, you’re thieves?”

“Well, yeah, but we’re the good kind,” Barry said, sitting down beside Zara.

“Is there such thing as a good thief?” She wondered.

“Well, that’s all on you, Darling. Are you willing to believe some people are good no matter what they do? Or do your eyes not go past the crime?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just as Zara had promised, Claire was released late the next day. Vivian and Lowery had come by to make sure she was okay, but she didn’t really feel like seeing anyone right now.

“Hey, Red.”

Perfect timing.

“Go away,” she mumbled, not bothering to look up from the porch swing she’d been sitting in for the last two hours.

“Can you please just give me a chance to explain?” He pleaded.

“Why would I?” She shouted, her eyes like daggers when she turned to him. “Did Trixie give you chance to explain? Or Sarah? Or Jenny? Cause I don’t know, maybe they were cool with you shoving them in front of the police to save your sorry ass.”

“Damnit, Zara,” he cursed under his breath. “Look, Claire, that’s not what happened. I didn’t mean for you to get dragged into any of this.”

“It’s all fine and good. I mean, now I’ve got two nights in a row I get to regret and that’s more than most-” She stopped. She hadn’t meant to say it. It just slipped out. “Owen, I-”

He shook his head, holding a hand up to stop her. “So that’s how it is, huh? You know, you can blame me for this. I understand. You can even say you never want to see me again and I’d leave you alone. But just do me a favour, and don’t throw everything we had out the window.” She closed her eyes. She hadn’t meant it at all. “See you around, Claire.” She sighed, watching him walk down her porch steps and disappear into the night.

She messed up. They both did. And they were both too stubborn to fix it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She was trying not to think about it. Her mother had left about 20 minutes ago to pick up Karen, Scott, and Zach from the airport and wouldn’t be back for another hour. She’d tried to keep her mind off of him by focusing on other things. She’d just put Gray down for bed and now she was in the kitchen, scrubbing each dirty dish by hand. When she was stressed, she cleaned.

She’d just put the last plate away when she heard the front door open. Her mother couldn’t be home already. She began to walk out of the kitchen, but something stopped her. A voice.

“Oh, Claire,” he taunted. “Come on, I know you’re here.” Her breath hitched in her throat. There was a stranger in the house. As quietly as she could, Claire turned and ran into the pantry, the swinging door closing softly behind her. “I was wondering if you could help me.” He was in the kitchen now and Claire closed her eyes, focusing on calming her breathing. “My boss is looking for Owen Grady. I hear from some friends of mine that you know where to find him.” He was getting closer. Claire moved further back as the door began to creak open, her mind dissolving into panic. He was going to find her.

But then, a sound came from upstairs. Gray. He’d woken up. “Well, who could that be?” The door settled back into its closed state and she could hear the man’s retreating footsteps climbing the stairs. She let out a stuttered breath and grabbed her phone, quickly dialling Owen’s number.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He shouldn’t answer it. He would just end up starting another argument with her. But he answered it anyway. He couldn’t stop himself. “What do you want, Red?”

_“Owen, please help me, please.”_ Her voice sounded shaky and he could hear the tears behind her eyes. She sounded terrified. He changed his demeanor immediately.

“Claire? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

_“There’s someone in the house.”_ The second the words came out of her mouth, he took off down the street, running as fast as could in the direction he’d come from.

“Where are you? Are you safe?” He said, breathlessly.

_“I’m in the pantry, but Owen, he’s in my nephew’s room. He’s only two months old.”_

“Claire, please, just stay where you are. I’m five minutes away. Just stay there, do you understand?” He could still hear her laboured breathing over the phone and he pushed himself to run faster. But it still didn’t feel fast enough. She hadn’t responded. “Claire?”

_“I’m sorry, Owen, but I can’t let anything happen to him.”_

“Claire!” But it was too late. He heard the click of her hanging up her phone and he cursed himself, forcing himself to get there faster.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Put him down.”

There was an insane amount of adrenaline coursing through Claire’s body. She didn’t know what to do with it. She just knew she had to keep Gray safe. So she’d run into Zach’s room to grab his baseball bat before running towards the baby’s room. She found him there. He looked like such a creep, she wanted to bash him over the head right then and there.

But he was holding Gray.

“I said, put him down.” She was trying to do her best to hide her fear, but she wasn’t doing a very good job. Her eyes were still glassy and the bat she held tightly shook along with her whole body.  
“Look at that,” he said, turning his attention to the baby. “Your aunt is quite the toughy.” Her eyes narrowed, boring into him, but he seemed unfazed. “My name’s Victor. Victor Hoskins, but you can call me Vic. You can put that down, Claire. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Put the baby down and maybe I will.”

“Really, Claire. I just want information. This shouldn’t be as hard as you’re making it. Just tell me where I can find Owen Grady and I’ll put the baby down and leave you two in peace. Trust me on that.” No matter what he said, Claire knew she could never trust this man. The conniving smirk across his face was enough of a tell.

“You’re lying,” she said, raising the bat up higher to protect herself. “You just told me your name. Even if you did leave, I could go to the police and they’d know who to look for. It gives you a reason to kill me.”

“Wow, she’s smart, too,” he remarked, bouncing the baby up and down on his hip. Claire’s trembling was starting to become more visible. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep this up. “Ah, there he is!” Claire’s head shot up and she looked behind her. Owen had run into the room, looking visibly disheveled and sweaty, and she felt sudden relief flood through her system.

Unfortunately, she’d turned long enough for Hoskins to grab the bat, yanking her with it. Getting a hold of her wrist, he tossed the bat to the side and held her so her back was facing him. Her breathing had become labored in terror, staring intently at Owen, wishing nothing more than to be on the other side of the room with him. “The elusive Owen Grady,” he stated, thankfully placing the baby back in the crib. She left out a sigh of relief before he pulled out a gun and Claire could’ve sworn she’d stopped breathing all together. “I knew you were bound to show up.”

“Just let her go, Vic. I’m the one you want, not her. She has nothing to do with this.” Owen looked just as desperate as she did.

“Yeah, but why not have a little fun. After all, I do have a thing for redheads.” Claire could feel his laugh through her entire body and she suddenly wanted to take a long, hot shower, but even that wouldn’t be enough to forget it. She shut her eyes. Then, she heard it.

Sirens.

Hoskins looked out the window, red and blue lights suddenly coloring the night. “What the hell?” Claire took this opportunity, knowing it was the only one she’d get. Throwing her head back, she bashed him in the nose, pain radiating through her head as she fell forward, letting Owen catch her. She threw herself behind him as he lunged for the bat. Claire couldn’t watch. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and she screamed.

When she opened her eyes, Hoskins was on the ground, unconscious. Owen had hit him with bat. Owen. Turning her head, she saw him, leaning against the wall opposite, clutching his arm. He was bleeding.

“Owen?” She ran toward him, holding his face in her hands. “Owen, are you alright?”

He nodded, a small smile gracing his features. “I’m fine. Just a graze,” he assured her, breathless. She could hear the sirens more clearly now. They were outside the house.

She turned back to Owen, wide eyed. “Owen, you have to go. You need to hide.”

He shook his head. “No, Claire, I’m not leaving you.”

“You have to. I’m not letting you get caught. The last door down the hall is my room. You need to hide in my closet.” He still looked hesitant, so she stepped back from him. “Go,” she urged. He finally sighed before running out of the room. Moving over to the crib, Claire picked up Gray and held him tightly before moving as far from Hoskins as she could, not wanting to be near him a second longer.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It took the police a couple of hours to take statements and collect everything they needed before they finally left. Her mother had shown up with Karen, Scott, and Zach, blaming Claire for the whole ordeal, of course.

“The one time I leave you with the baby and look what happens,” she’d said. But Claire didn’t care.

They’d all decided to stay at her mother’s house for the night, but Claire declined. She’d much rather be with Owen than her mother.

After all the commotion had finally died down, she didn’t waste a second. Running up the steps, two at a time, she finally came to her room and threw open her closet door. A part of her thought maybe Owen might’ve left by now, not wanting to be anywhere near the cops, but there he was, looking just as war-torn as he had when she saw him two hours ago.

He stood quickly and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and let her head fall against his chest, closing her eyes in content.

“Hi,” he whispered.

She smiled wide, holding him as tightly as her tired limbs would allow. “Hi.” Lifting her head, she let her hand come up to caress his cheek. “So what do we do now?” She wondered, feeling him leave a kiss on her forehead.

“Probably stick together,” he began, brushing a lock of hair from her face. “For survival.” She giggled and he kissed her. Letting herself melt into him, she found herself hoping that there would be more in the future.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Charlie! Please tell me you're dressed!" Claire shouted down the hallway, fidgeting with the clasp on her necklace across the back of her neck.

"Claire, it's Christmas. You've got to relax," Owen said, moving behind her and clicking the necklace into place with ease.

Claire groaned, visibly anxious. "I can't relax. We're going to be late."

Owen scoffed, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss on her neck "Babe, it's our house. It's impossible to be late to your own party."

"They're going to start arriving any second now and we have to be ready when they do," she said, fiddling with her earrings.

"Come on, you know you get a little extra antsy when you're pregnant. Maybe this is the baby talking." She stopped fixing her appearance and turned toward him, giving him the death glare of a lifetime. He stepped back immediately. “Or it could just be me being stupid. You know what, don’t listen to me. I’m not even here.” He backed up with his hands raised, leaving through their bedroom door.

The past 10 years had been the most amazing of his life. Owen had given up his hacker life. He found that being with Claire was more important than that. Scott received a promotion in Beijing and the family decided to move there. Claire had been unsure about going, but when Owen told her he’d follow her anywhere, they jumped at the chance. Claire could work from anywhere and Masrani was more than helpful in relocating her. Plus, Beijing is a non-extradition country, which was a bonus for Owen. They’d gotten married about three years later and had Charlie two years after that. Claire was currently pregnant with their second child, a boy, and Charlie was blossoming into the smart, beautiful little girl he always knew she would be. He was happy. They all were. And he wouldn’t change anything for the world.

He hadn’t realised he’d been standing in the hall for so long until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Claire, hand-in-hand with Charlie; this time, a smile gracing her face. “You ready?” she asked.

He slipped his hand in hers and placed a kiss on her temple. “For anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> I ended up tweaking it a lot so I hope it's still recognizable at Lady and the Tramp based. But I hope you guys like it so far! -Emma


End file.
